Track seal for folding doors



Oct. 31, 1967 G. E. DIXON 3,349,829

TRACK SEAL FOR FOLDING DOORS Filed Jan. 25, 1966 Guy E. Dixon INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,349,829 TRACK SEAL FOR FOLDING DOORS Guy E. Dixon, Miami Shores, Fla. Panelfold Doors, Inc., 1090 E. 17th St., Hialeah, Fla. 33010) Filed Jan. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 522,854 7 Claims. (Cl. 160-40) The present invention generally relates to a track seal for folding panel doors such as that illustrated in my prior Patent No. 3,131,753 issued May 5, 1964 for Folding Door With Flexible Joint.

When using a continuous flexible hinge strip between adjacent panels of a folding door, the hinge stn'p will form an effective seal between the adjacent panels. Seals for the upper and lower edges of the folding door have also been developed as exemplified in copending applica tion Serial No. 455,871 filed May 17, 1965 for Acoustical Folding Door. While the use of a continuous sealing arrangement at the top and bottom edges of a single accordion folding door serves as substantially an effective seal for air and sound, the overhead track still provides a communication between the two sides of the door by virtue of sound and air entering the track on one side of the accordion folded door and exiting on the other side thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a track seal to prevent entry and egress of air and sound in relation to the overhead supporting track thereby forming an effective seal for the door and the track to prevent transmission of sound, air and even light.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a track seal for a supporting track or tracks for an accordion folding door which includes a pair of overlapping flexible flaps which form an effective seal but yet enable passage of a supporting element which interconnects the end edge of the panels and the carrier disposed in the track thus providing a track seal which will not interfere with the normal opening and closing movement of the door but which will effectively form a seal for the track when the door is closed or in an accordion folded position.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a track seal for a folding door having a continuous top edge seal which is associated with a surface area adjacent the track and which combines with the track seal to completely seal the end edge of the folding door when in closed position with the track seal also serving to provide a closure for the track for rendering the appearance of the supporting track structure more compatible with the surrounding surface area thereby enhancing the appearance characteristics thereof.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a track seal in accordance with the preceding objects which is easily attached to the track structure in operative position and which is relatively simple in construction, effective for its particular purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referenece being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an overhead track area and folding door with portions of the supporting structure broken away for illustrating the track seal of the present invention and its association with the track and related structure;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 22 of FIGURE 1 illustrating further structural details of the track seal and the associated track and folding door;

3,349,829 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 3--3 of FIGURE 2 illustrating further structural details of the track structure and track seal and illustrating schematically the way in which the track seal precludes passage of air, sound and light into the track;

FIGURE 4 is a plan sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of FIG- URE 3 illustrating the structural details of the overlapping flexible fiaps forming the track seal and their association with the supporting stem extending from the carrier to the folding door panels;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental perspective view of one part of the track seal; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to a portion of FIGURE 3 but illustrating the track without the track seal thereon illustrating the manner in which air, sound and light may pass up into the track and be transmitted from one side of the folding door to the other.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the folding door of the present invention which is in the form of a plurality of rigid panels 12 interconnected by a flexible hinge strip 14 such as that illustrated in my prior Patent No. 3,131,753 issued May 5, 1964 for Folding Door With Flexible Joint or Patent No. 2,579,910 issued December 25, 1951. Supporting the upper edges of the panels 12 is a plurality of wheeled carriers or dollies 16 which may be referred to as hangers and which include rotatable wheels 18 and a depending rod or stem 20 that is attached to the upper edge of the panels 12 in a well known manner so that the panels 12 may move from a closed or extended position in which they are in a shallow accordion fold to an open retracted position in which the panels 12 are stacked one against the other.

The hangers 16 are supported in an overhead track generally designated by numeral 22 and which includes an upper flange 24 and depending parallel side walls or flanges 26 terminating in inwardly extending lower flanges 28 which are generally V-shaped in configuration for receiving the periphery of the supporting wheels 18 in a well known manner. The inner edges of the flanges 28 are spaced from each other to form a continuous slot-like opening 30 to enable movement of the supporting hanger rods or stems 20.

It is conventional practice to support the track 22 in recessed relation to a ceiling structure or supporting structure 32 attached to an overhead support 34 by suitable fasteners 36 and the like. This orientates the lower edge of the trackway 22 generally flush with the surrounding supporting structure 32 to provide a relatively neat and attractive appearance.

Recent developments in conjunction with folding doors of this type involve the provision of continuous flexible sealing strips or panels 38 attached to the upper edge portion of the panels 12 by the use of a spacer strip 40 and a retaining strip 42 and suitable fasteners with this construction being quite similar to that disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 455,871, filed May 14, 1965 for Acoustical Folding Door. The upper flee continuous edge of each sealing strip 38 engages the undersurface 44 of the support 32 or ceiling structure so that a continuous and complete seal is maintained between the panel door 10 and the overhead supporting structure whether it was an overhead support 32 or an overhead ceiling structure thereby further retarding or precluding passage of air, sound and light from one side of the folding door to the other.

Mounted on each side of the track 22 is a sealing strip generally designated by 46 in which each strip 46 is provided with a mounting flange 48 and a sealing flange or flap 50 generally perpendicular to the mounting flange 48 and which forms an extension of a body forming flange 52 that is integral with the mounting flange 48. The sealing flap 50 is relatively thin and flexible compared with the mounting flange 48 and the body flange 52 and is slightly offset in relation thereto by an offset portion 54 which generally is in alignment with the edge of the recess in the supporting member 32 which receives the track 22 so that the offset portion 54 generally conforms with the lower outer surface of the V-shaped flanges 28 on the side flanges 26 of the track 22 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Also, as illustrated in FIGURE 2 and also in FIGURE 4, the free edges of the sealing flaps 50 slightly overlap to normally form a closure for the slot 30 of the track 22 which receives the hanger rod 20. The mounting flange 48 is provided with a hollow interior 56 and is slightly tapered and provided with a plurality of longitudinal ribs or serrations 58 thereon for reception within a groove 60 formed in the mounting member 32 and the body flange 52 is also recessed in a recessed area 62 in the supporting element 32. The sealing strip 46 and especially the sealing flap 50 is preferably constructed of a plastic material having considerable flexibility and resiliency such that while the flap may be deformed into a position to permit passage of the hanger rod 20 during movement thereof Without excessive obstruction to such movement, the flap still will quickly return to the closed overlapping position. Once the door has been closed, the memory characteristics of the plastic material are such that the flaps will closely surround each hanger rod 20 thus forming a seal around each hanger rod 20 and, of course, forming a seal for the slot 30 thereby precluding passage of air, sound and light up into the track and then longitudinally of the track and down on the other side of the door. FIGURE 3 illustrates schematically by the arrows 64 the manner in which air, sound and light would be precluded from such movement by the track seal of the present invention while in FIGURE 6, the arrows 66 indicate the passage of such air, sound and light without the track seal incorporated therein thereby visually indicating the significant advantages of the track seal insofar as permitting transmission of air, sound and light from one side of the door to the other. Additionally, the track seal strips 46 may be colored any suitable color compatible with the surrounding supporting structure thus rendering the device relative- 1y attractive in appearance and concealing the overhead trackway.

While the structure has been illustrated only on the top of the door, if a bottom track is employed, a similar structure may be provided for the bottom track thereby preventing passage of air, sound and light from one side of the door to the other.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de scribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A track seal for the supporting track of a folding panel door having hanger assemblies movably disposed in the track and a rod extending from each hanger assembly to a panel, the folding panel door including a continuous sealing means along the end edge thereof for engagement with a sealing surface on both sides of the track, and a sealing strip mounted flush with the sealing surface and closing the entranceway into the track but permitting passage of the hanger rods therethrough and movement of the hanger rods therealong while retaining the track in substantially sealed condition to prevent entry of air, noise and light into the track on one side of the folding panel door and egress from the track on the other side of the folding panel door.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein a sealing strip is disposed alongside of each side of the trackway, each sealing strip having a laterally extending flexible sealing flap forming a part thereof with the terminal edges of the flaps being disposed in overlapping position.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein each sealing strip includes a mounting flange disposed in perpendicular relation to the sealing flap and disposed within a slot-like recess in a supporting surface thereby supporting the sealing strip in position.

4. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means sealing the end of the folding panel door includes at least one flexible strip mounted continuously along the end edge of the door for folding with the panels with the end edge of the flexible strip flexibly engaging a sealing surface on both sides of the track for sealing the end edge of the door in relation to such surface.

5. In combination, a supporting track having inturned edges defining an entrance slot, a plurality of supporting assemblies movably disposed in said track, each assembly including a support rod extending through said slot, a plurality of closure panels each having an end edge connected with a support rod, hinge strip means flexibly connecting side edges of adjacent panels, a continuous seal means along the end edge of said panels, a sealing surface generally flush with the track and engaged by said seal means to provide a seal between the end edge of the panels and the sealing surface, and seal means mounted flush with the sealing surface and closing the entrance slot to the track thereby forming a complete seal for the end edge of the panels, said track seal means including a pair of continuous flexible seal flaps having overlapping edges aligned with the entrance slot of the track for enabling passage of and movement of the support rods along the track and substantially sealing the rods inany position thereof.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said sealing surface is provided with a longitudinal recess means along each side of said track, and means on each of said flaps received in said recess means for mounting the seal flaps.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said recess means includes a longitudinal groove perpendicular to the sealing surface, said means on each flap includes a mounting flange received in said groove, each flap and flange being of unitary construction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,911,899 11/1959 Spiegelhalter -4O X 3,073,381 1/1963 Burrneister 160-l99 X 3,090,426 5/1963 Carlo 160-40 X 3,229,750 1/1966 Reynolds 16084 X 3,240,259 3/1966 Kelleher et al. 160103 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

D. L. TAYLOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRACK SEAL FOR THE SUPPORTING TRACK OF A FOLDING PANEL DOOR HAVING HANGER ASSEMBLIES MOVABLY DISPOSED IN THE TRACK AND A ROD EXTENDING FROM EACH HANGE ASSEMBLY TO A PANEL, THE FOLDING PANEL DOOR INCLUDING A CONTINUOUS SEALING MEANS ALONG THE END EDGE THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A SEALING SURFACE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACK, AND A SEALING STRIP MOUNTED FLUSH WITH THE SEALING SURFACE AND CLOSING THE ENTRANCEWAY INTO THE TRACK BY PERMITTING PASSAGE OF THE HANGER RODS THERETHROUGH AND MOVEMENT OF THE HANGER RODS THEREALONG WHILE RETAINING THE TRACK IN SUBSTANTIALLY SEALED CONDITION TO PREVENT ENTRY OF AIR, NOISE AND LIGHT INTO THE TRACK ON ONE SIDE OF THE FOLDING PANEL DOOR AND EGRESS FROM THE TRACK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FOLDING PANEL DOOR. 